Living in the United States, Halloween was always one of my favourite holidays. I enjoyed everything about it! The change in the weather. The ability to dress up and pretend to be someone else. All the glorious candy. And of course, getting to face your fears.

In Southern California, it had become a yearly tradition to go to Knott's Scary Farms and Universal Horror Nights. Each year I would eagerly wait to see the incredible special effects makeup and pray that at least one scarer would be able to scare me. When you work in the mental health field, little scares you. So the rare occasion that I would let out a scream, I was happy. When I moved to Melbourne, I knew my favourite Halloween traditions may be increasingly difficult to find. The past four years, Halloween has become a bigger deal in Australia. When I first moved, many of the schools did not allow students to dress up and good luck finding any haunted houses. Now it seems more and more haunted houses are popping up all around Melbourne. This year, Hauntville is a new haunted house with a festival area I was super excited to check out!

Located at Burnley Park a close walk from the Burnley train station, this fun, festive Halloween extravaganza includes two scary haunted mazes, a variety of kooky carnival games, a creepy crawly eatery, and plenty of opportunities to interact with the less... lively characters you'll find around the park.

Entry to the grounds is free but if you're wanting to access the haunted houses, there is a fee. If you're a little unsure if you want to be scared, get there early and grab some witches brew. It may help you calm your nerves before your scares. Didn't have a chance to eat beforehand? There are plenty of incredible food trucks waiting to cater to your every food need.

Once the moon is bright and full, make your way over to Cirque Du Slay or the Yarra River Coffinworks. Here, you'll face your fears while struggling to find your way through the zig-zagging maze. Beware! Every step may take you down a dangerous path and the thrill of a lifetime. The biggest question? Will you make it out alive?

Got little ones who may scare a little easy? Visit Hauntville from 4-6 for a less frightening, but still entertaining experience. Dress your younger haunts up for the daily costume competition or let them go on the Trick-or-Treat walk. The scare houses are open during this time as well except there will be no scarers popping out throughout the maze. Hauntville haunts are open until 28 October from 4:30-10:30. Click here to get your tickets! And be sure to get them soon because this is a scare-tastic event you don't want to miss!